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Overview

Add swappable storage capability

This SATA to USB enclosure can be used as an extra hard drive enclosure for the hot-swap bay in order to provide multiple enclosures that can be swapped in and out of a main computer system. It’s perfect for adding drives for backup rotations, and data recovery strategies.

Take your data with you

If you need access to your data outside of the office, you can use the enclosure as a standard USB 3.1 (10Gbps) enclosure -- a powerful external storage solution when you need access to your files while you’re on the road.

The enclosure includes a Micro-USB to USB-A and a Micro-USB to USB-C cable, so you can plug the enclosure into your laptop and access your data anywhere you go.

The S251BU31REMD is backed by a StarTech.com 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.

Applications

Use multiple drives with the same S251BU31REM installation for archiving or rotating backups

Professionals working with very large files who need to transport them between computers and different locations

Business professionals who need first hand access to their data while travelling

Data Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Buy

Hard drive enclosures require power from your system's USB port. Although you can plug in any standard SATA drive, USB ports only supply a limited amount of power and are not able to power all of the hard drives plugged into the system.

The power capabilities of the USB port combined with the power requirements of the attached hard drive will determine if the hard drive enclosure will work in your setup. The power (in mA) supplied by the USB port must be greater than the requirements of the hard drive.

A USB 2.0 port can supply a maximum of 500 mA (0.5 A), and a USB 3.0 port can supply a maximum of 900 mA (0.9 A).

You can usually find the power requirements of your hard drive in the technical specifications on the label of the hard drive or on the manufacturer's website.

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To determine if your hard drive will work in this enclosure, on the product page, click the Technical Specifications tab, and do the following:

Make sure that the enclosure supports the storage size of your hard drive. If the storage size of your hard drive is larger than what the enclosure was tested with, the hard drive will likely still work with the enclosure.

Confirm that your hard drive uses the same interface type as the enclosure. For example, IDE, SATA, or M.2.

Make sure that the enclosure supports the physical size of your hard drive, such as 2.5 inches or 3.5 inches.

Make sure that the enclosure supports the height of your hard drive. For example, 9 mm or 15 mm.

Verify that the power consumption of your hard drive doesn’t exceed the power output of the enclosure. If you’re using multiple hard drives, make sure that the combined power consumption of all of the hard drives doesn’t exceed the power output of the enclosure.

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USB 3.1 is the most recent version of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard for connecting computers and electronic devices. It is capable of data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps, and while it can use the USB-C connector type, it can also use a variety of other connector types. To achieve USB 3.1 transfer speeds, your USB host connection, cables, and device must all support USB 3.1. USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps).

USB 3.0 is capable of data transfer speeds up to 5Gbps. USB 3.0 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps).

USB 3.1 is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, except in the following scenarios:

USB-B 3.1 cables are not compatible with USB-B 2.0 ports.

Unless you use an adapter, USB-C ports or cables will not work with USB-A or USB-B ports or cables.

Devices that require USB 3.1 transfer speeds of 10Gbps might not work with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0, or you might experience lower transfer speeds and impacted performance.

Bus-powered USB devices that requires more power than what USB 2.0 can provide are not compatible with USB 2.0.

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To transfer data at speeds of 10Gbps, you need to confirm that the following components in your setup support USB 3.1:

The USB host connection

The USB cable

The USB device and any subcomponents (for example, a hard drive docking station and the hard drives in the docking station)

Note: USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). Devices that support USB 3.1 should have the USB 3.1 symbol on them. If the USB 3.1 symbol does not appear on your USB source or device, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer to confirm whether the USB source or device support USB 3.1.

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Troubleshooting

When you troubleshoot issues with a hard drive enclosure, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:

Cables

Hard drives

Hard drive enclosure

To test your setup components, try the following:

Use the cables, hard drives, and hard drive enclosure in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.

Use a different cable, hard drive, and hard drive enclosure in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.

When you test the hard drive and hard drive enclosure, it is recommended that you do the following:

If the hard drive is listed with unallocated space, the hard drive needs to be reformatted. Right-click unallocated and click New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reformatting.​

Note: Formatting a hard drive erases all of the data on it. Make sure that you back up all of your data before you reformat the hard drive.​

If the hard drive is listed as healthy but does not have a drive letter, for example, C:, right-click healthy and click Change Drive Letter and Paths. Click Add, assign a drive letter, and click OK.

Note: A formatted hard drive will not show up in Computer or My Computer until it has a drive letter assigned to it.

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If your setup components support USB 3.1 but you are experiencing slower transfer speeds than you expected, consider the following:

A USB host connection with multiple USB 3.1 ports might not be able to support 10Gbps on each port simultaneously.

The type of port on a device does not determine whether the device is capable of USB 3.1 speeds. A USB-C port might not support USB 3.1 speeds, while USB-A and USB-B ports might support USB 3.1 speeds.

Any other devices that you include in your setup, such as an older hard drive in a USB 3.1 enclosure, might create a point of congestion and slow down transfer speeds.

To confirm the functionality of your USB host connection, its ports, and any other devices in your setup, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer.

Note: USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). Devices that support USB 3.1 should have the USB 3.1 symbol on them. If the USB 3.1 symbol does not appear on your USB source or device, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer to confirm whether the USB source or device support USB 3.1.